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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

To Health Ministry - Where is our government clinic?

On 30 March 2012, I organised a press conference together with Senior Citizens Club of Subang Jaya and other residents to demand for our government clinic from the Health Ministry.

We have spoken out on this issue at various occasions over the last 4 years. The Barisan Nasional led Federal Government should stop playing politics and stop punishing the taxpayers of Subang Jaya for voting in Pakatan Rakyat.

Mr Yeong, Chairman of Senior Citizens Club speaking up for the senior citizens

After our press conference, MCA then announced that two new clinics would be built in Subang. I hope this is not another election gimmick by MCA (just like their empty "announcement" in 2008 that a pedestrian bridge would be built in front of SJBA, Persiaran Kewajipan). I will continue to speak up on this until I see works begin for this much awaited government clinic!

SUBANG JAYA: Residents here are fuming over an unfulfilled promise by Putrajaya to build a government clinic in the USJ area.

Subang Jaya assemblywoman Hannah Yeoh said RM8 million had already been allocated under the Ninth Malaysia Plan in 2008 but the project had stalled.

“At first the (Federal) government said they could not find a suitable piece of land, then the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) gazetted a plot of land for them to build it, but until now no action has been taken,” said Yeoh during a press conference last Friday.

Residents of Subang Jaya are angry that a promised government clinic has yet to be built after four years.

The 0.72-acre vacant plot is situated at Jalan USJ 1/33 opposite a row of shoplots.

MPSJ has already written to the Health Ministry to inform them that they have permission to use it to build the clinic.

If built, the clinic will provide Subang Jaya residents with much needed accessible healthcare as the nearest government clinics are in Kelana Jaya and Puchong.

“The government allocated RM2 billion for the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia cash-aid for short-term vote buying, but we need more long-term solutions. It would mean much more to senior citizens to have permanent government facilities,” said Yeoh.

Yeoh said currently the Al-Falah Mosque in USJ9 has set up a small clinic to help the community address their healthcare needs with the help of KPJ Healthcare. Residents are now relying on the mosque to get basic, affordable (RM5 per consultation) healthcare.

She added that Putrajaya had instead opted to build a 1Malaysia clinic, which will be staffed by medical assistants and nurses instead of qualified doctors, despite opposition from the residents of Subang Jaya.

“We, the residents of Subang Jaya, demand our clinic to be built as soon as possible,” said Yeoh.

She was accompanied by more than two dozen residents of USJ brandishing banners that read “Give us our government clinic”.

Subang Jaya Senior Citizens Club president Yeong Teik Boon, 72, said many of the club’s 900 members have difficulties going to government clinics as the nearest ones are in Kelana Jaya and Puchong.

“Unless our children are taking us, we will have to take two buses (from Subang Jaya to Asia Jaya, then to Kelana Jaya) to Kelana Jaya. It is a very long way for old people,” said Yeong, adding the club has met with health ministry officials along with other NGOs and Yeoh to address the problem.

He said the ministry had promised to take action but this remains an unfulfilled promise.

Yeong said Kelana Jaya’s former member of Parliament Loh Seng Kok of MCA personally told them that a clinic will be built to address their needs before the 2008 general election.

“I hope before the 13th general election, the BN government will build this clinic,” said Yeong.

Chairman of Subang Jaya Residents’ Association (SJRA) A.S. Gill said the government should not deny residents the clinic.

“I am very sad that politicians are politicising everything, even our basic needs,” said Gill.

Gill, 66, said he has worked with MCA previously to get the clinic built because it was crucial to folks who cannot afford private medical care.

“This clinic is most needed by the needy, and we expect a full-fledged clinic, not a compromise,” said Gill, referring to the 1Malaysia clinic.

Also present at the press conference was MPSJ councillor Muzammil Hafiz who reiterated the the land was available.

“We urge the government to use this plot of land and give us the clinic,” he said.

2 comments:

i wish i hd read this post before the 'forum' with the mca big wigs leow,& wee (and even donald came later!) last nite...I would have blasted leow for telling lies about no land in sjaya to build a clinic..he said he can authorise immediately for a 1m'sia clinic to be set up, even if to dispense medicine, if we want...And if we want a landed clinic, it is at the expense of a new school land!